Machine for making corrugated paperboard



Patented Jan. 19, 1937 MACHINE FOR MAKING CORRUGATED P ERBOARD George W. Swift, Jr., Bordentown, N. J assignor to George W. Swift, Jr., Inc., Bordentown, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 12, 1934, Serial No. 725,252

6 Claims.

This invention relates more especially to corrugated paper board machines in which a continuous corrugated web is retained in snug-fitting engagement with the corrugations of a rotary roll by means of suction applied to the web through suitable suction channels provided within the body of the corrugated roll, the purpose of the invention being to provide means of improved construction for applying suction more directly and more eflectively than has heretofore been possible in machines of this character in which suction is employed for the same or a similar purpose.

' One purpose of my invention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement of parts in the web-corrugating and liner-applying mechanism of a corrugated paperboard machine in which a stationary system of suction tubes or pipes may be arranged to operate directly upon a continuous web over a predetermined portion of the periphery of a continuously rotating corrugated roll which is provided with axially spaced circumferential grooves of greater radial depth than the corrugations in said roll so that when a portion of its periphery is covered. by the continuous corrugated web passing thereover, arcuate suction channels are formed whereby the corrugated web may be maintained in close engagement with the corrugated roll during a stage in which it is most liable to be pulled out of shape or otherwise deformed. While the principleof operation is somewhat similar to that underlying the mechanism shown and described in U. S. Patent No. 1,981,338 which was granted in my name under date of November 20, 1934, my present invention contemplates an improved simplified construction'which can be manufactured and operated more economically and at the same time provides a better control and distribution of the suction.

According to the embodiment of my invention shown on the drawing, said invention contemplates an improved construction and arrangement of parts for retaining a newly corrugated web in close mesh with one of the corrugating rolls of a pair which impart the corrugations thereto in such a way as to prevent deformation or injury to the corrugations during the movement of the corrugated web past an adhesive roll into position to have a liner web applied thereto. My invention further contemplates means 01' improved construction for utilizing suction for holding the corrugated web in mesh with the corrugated-roll without employing guide plates for this urpose. This prevents the accumulation of adhesive on the paper guides with a consequent gumming up'of these guides and messing up of the paper while at the same time making it unnecessary to form peripheral grooves in the adhesive roll for the accommodation of said guides. 5 In consequence, an adhesive roll with an unbroken peripheral surface may be employed to eliminate the usual bald streaks across the tips of the corrugations left by an adhesive roll with peripheral slots. This in turn avoids the occur- 10 rence-of unbonded areas between the attached .webs and thus prevents the production vof boxes and the like of inferior quality due to the chance coincidence of said unbonded areas with creases or slots formed in the box blanks. 15

Specific features of construction and arrangement of parts will be described in the specification and recited in the appended claims, refer-' ence being had to the drawing which shows a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the drawin Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a corrugated paper board machine constructed in accordance with my present invention. 1

Figure 2 is a fragmentary axial section of the 25 machine taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3' is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on the radial line 3-3 of Figure 1.

According to the embodiment of my invention shown on the drawing, a continuous web I which 30 is to be corrugated prior to its attachment to a I liner web 2, is supplied under suitable tension from a mill roll unwinding device (not shown on the drawing), and after being heated and moistened by its passage through sprays of live steam, is delivered to and between an upper paper corrugating roll 3 and a lower paper corrugating roll 4. In accordance with the usual practice in machines of this character, the paper corrugating rolls 3 and 4 are provided interiorly with cham- 40 hers i and 4* for a heating medium such, for example, as live steam so that the corrugated shape is imparted to web i under the heat-transmitting ironing action of the paper-corrugating rolls. According to the present invention, as the corrugated web I passes from between the corrugating rolls 3 and 4, it isretained in closely meshing relation with the lower corrugating roll by means of an improved system of suction ducts and tubes for the purpose of preventing distortion of any kind during the heating and drying operation preparatory to applying a continuous liner web thereto. During its travel around the axis 01 corrugated roll 4, the corrugated web is in running contact with an adhesive-applying roll 5 'which' 5 runs in an adhesive tank 8. Moving downwardly and around the lower corrugating roll 4 and between said roll and a liner-applying pressure roll 1, the adhesive-bearing tips of the corrugated web are pressed into close contact with the liner web 2 asit passes overthe smooth-surfaced roll I. As shown in Figure 1 of the drawing, the linerapplying roll 1 is preferably arranged to rotate about an axis lying in the commbn axial plane of the upper and lower corrugating rolls 3 and 4 and inasmuch as the quality of the product depends largely upon the uniformity in size and form of the corrugations formed in the corrugated web while the liner web is being applied thereto, it is of great importance to maintain the drying corrugated web in close contact with the lower corrugated roll 4 until theliner web is firmly at-' tached thereto at the moment the single-faced corrugated web leaves said corrugated roll. For the purpose of performing this operation on the continuously moving web while at the same time maintaining a sumcient amount of heat in the lower corrugating roll to properly impress and iron the web, said lower corrugating roll is provided at uniformly spaced intervals along its axis with peripheral grooves 8 which, as shown best in. Figure 3 of the drawing, intersect the'corrug'ations in said roll in transverse planes. It will be understood from this description that asthe corrugated web i emerges from between the corrugating rolls 3 and 4, its closely-fitting relation to the corrugations in lower roll 4 adapts it to form a substantially air-tight peripheral wall which is common to all-of the peripheral grooves 8 which are thus converted to suction channels extending substantially degrees about the rotary axis of the roll 4. As shown in Figure 1 of the drawing, an upper suction main 9 and a lower suction main ID are preferably arranged on parallel axes extending parallel to the rotary axis of lower corrugating roll 4. Projecting from the upper suction main 8 are a plurality of suction tubes or pipes II which are arranged in the same axially spaced order as the peripheral grooves 8 and are provided with open outer ends which conformto and are presented into the arcuate suction channels referred to above. For the purpose of rendering the arcuate suction channels 8 substantially continuous with the suction pipes H, and to exclude air therefrom,.the open outer ends of the latter have a close running fit in the former as indicated in Figure 2 of the drawing. Each of said tubes or pipes i l terminates beneath the corrugated paper on the carrier roll a little beyond where the paper enters the carrier roll, and it may be provided with a valve cock l2 by means of which the suction effects may be regulated in any desired degree or cut off completely. Pro- Jecting from the lower suction main ID are a plurality of suction pipes or tubes i3 provided with open outer ends projectinginto and conforming to the lower ends of the arcuate suction channels 8 and provided with a close running fit therein. These suction pipes or tubes I3 likewise constitute air-excluding means, and they terminate beneath the corrugated paper on the carrier roll at a point a little before where the corrugated paper emerges from the carrierroll. In this way a substantially continuous seal is maintained within the suction groove or chamber and the corrugated paper on the carrier roll is exposed to the suction therein across the entire width of the groove. The last-mentioned suction tubes or pires are also provided with valve cocks I 4 for shutting off the suction orregulating the amount of suction at will. It will be understood that by completely closing the valve cocks i2 or l4, the suction pipes or tubes are substantially adapted to constitute plugs which seal one end or the other of the arcuate suction channels 8.

By referring to Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing in connection with the lower corrugating roll 4 as shown in Figure 1, it will be seen that the combined cross-sectional areas of the peripheral grooves 8 are relatively small in comparison to the radial cross-sectional area of roll 4 and hence. dissipate only a very small portion of the heat accumulated in said roll. In consequence of this condition, the heat in roll 4 is conserved in such a way as to economize the consumption of steam. At the same time, the corrugated web which is in a moist, softened condition as it begins its movement with the roll 4, is drawn into intimate contact with the heated or ironing surface of the roll 4 due to the uninterrupted exposure of the inner corrugated surface of web i to unrestricted suction in channels 8. As a result, the moistened and weakened corrugated web as it is conveyed from the common axial plane of the corrugating rolls 3 and 4, is pressed into more intimate ironing and heat-receiving contact with the corrugations in the periphery of roll 4 than is possible with a suction system which operates at spaced points through suction channels leading from small ducts in the inter-corrugated spaces through the interior of the ironing roll which produces atmospheric pressure on small areas only of the corrugated surface of the web while at the same time greatly reducing the heat accumulating properties of the corrugated ironing roll. It may be noted finally that the application of atmospheric pressure to continuous peripheral bands of the freshly corrugated web in its moist and weakened condition, practically eliminates all tendency to stretch or flatten out the corrugations or reduce the number of said corrugations per linear unit. Inasmuch as this atmospheric pressure is applied uniformly over the entire outer surfaces of these peripheral bands to clamp them into the corrugated form, the shape, size and regularity in form of the corrugations are perfected. Furthermore, the evenly maintained and intimate ironing contact with the roll not only prevents deleterious cooling effects and premature cooling effects, but also aids in maintaining desirable conditions of heat in the moist silicate adhesive until the corrugated web is pressed onto the liner web.

I claim:--

1. Apparatus for making corrugated board comprising in combination a pair of intermeshing corrugating rolls, one constituting a carrier roll and having in its periphery an endless'circumferential groove of substantially greater depth than its corrugations, means for delivering paper to said carrier roll at the intermeshed portions of the two rolls, means for removing corrugated paper from the carrier roll at a point substantially removed from the intermeshed portions of said rolls, whereby the paper covers a portion of said groove between the points of delivery and removal of the paper, forming a covered chamber; and air-excluding means projecting into both ends of said chamber so as to maintain a continuous sealing relation with the corrugated paper, terminating therein beneath the corrugated paper on the carrier roll and out of the path of the paper as it engages and as it leaves the carrier roll, said air-excluding means having 75 accents I air from said chamber.

2. Apparatus for making corrugated board comprising in combination a pair of intermeshing corrugating rolls, one constituting a carrier roll and having inits periphery an endless circumferential groove of substantially greater depth than its corrugations, means for delivering paper to said carrier; roll at the intermeshed portions of the two rolls, means for removing corrugated paper from the carrier roll at a point substantially removed from the intermeshed portions of said rolls. whereby the paper covers a portion of said groove between the points of delivery and removal of the paper, forming a covered chamber; and a pair of air-excluding elements located at opposite ends of said chamber, each having a surface over which the corrugated paper travels sufliciently long to maintain a continuous sealing roll and having in its periphery an endless cir-.

cumferential groove of substantially greater depth than its corrugations. means for deliver-g ing paper to said carrier roll at the int'errneshed portions of the two rolls, means for removing corrugated paper from "the carrier roll-at a point substantially removed from the intermeshed portions of said rolls, wherebythep'aper covers a portion of said groove between the points of delivery and removal of the paper, forming a covered chamber; and a pair of suction tubes pro- Jecting into the opposite ends of said chamber so as to maintain a continuous sealing relation with the corrugated paper, terminating therein beneath the corrugated paper on the carrier roll and out of the path of the paper as it engages and as it leaves the carrier roll.

4. Apparatus for making corrugated board comprising in combination a carrier roll having in its periphery a circumferential series of longitudinally extending corrugations and an endless circumferential groove of substantially greater depth than said corrugations, a second roll having a similar series of corrugations meshing with the corrugations of said carrier roll to positively offset intervening paper into substantially continuous closed contact with the corrugated surface of said carrier roll, whereby the paper covers to the corrugated paper on said carrier roll at a greater distance from the point at which the two a portion of said groove between the points of delivery and removal of the paper, forming a covered chamber; means for applying adhesive to the outer periphery of the corrugated paper on said carrier roll at a substantial distance from the point at which the two corrugated rolls are enmeshed, means for applying backing paper to the corrugated paper on' said carrier roll at a so as to maintain a continuous sealing relation with the corrugated paper. terminating therein beneath the corrugated paper on the carrier roll and out of the path of the paper as it engages and as it leaves the carrier roll, said air-excluding means having at least one duct therein for the extraction of air from said chamber.

5. Apparatus for making corrugated board comprising in combination a carrier roll having in its periphery a circumferential series of longit'udinallyextending corrugations and an endless circumferential greater depth than said corrugations, a second roll having asimil'ar series of corrugations meshing with the corrugations of saidcarrier roll to positively oifset intervening p r into substantially continuous closed cont t with the corrugated surface of said carrier roll, whereby the paper covers a portion of said groove between the points of delivery and removal of the paper, forming a covered chamber; means for applying adhesive to the outer periphery of the corrugated paper on said carrier roll at a substantial distance from the point at which the two corrugated rolls are enmeshed, means for applying backing paper to the corrugated paper on said carrier roll at a greater distance from the point at which the two corrugated rolls'are enmeshed; and a pair of air-excluding elements located at opposite ends of said chamber, each having a surface over which the corrugated paper travels sufilciently long to maintain a continuous sealing relation with the paper, at least one of said elements having therein a duct for the extraction of air from said chamber.

6. Apparatus for making corrugated board comprising in combination a carrier roll having. in its periphery a circumferential series of longitudinally extending corrugations and an endless circumferential groove of substantially greater depth than said corrugations, a second roll having a similar series of corrugations meshing with the corrugations of said carrier roll to positively offset intervening paper into substantially continuous closed contact with the corrugated surface of said carrier roll, whereby the paper covers a portion of said groove between the points of delivery and removal of the paper, forming a covered chamber; means for applying adhesive to the outer periphery of the corrugated paper on said carrier roll at a substantial distance from the point at which the two corrugated rolls are enmeshed. means for applying backing paper groove of substantially sealing relationwith the corrugated paper. terminating therein beneath the corrugated paper on the carrier roll and out of the path of the paper as it engages and as it leaves the carrier roll.

GEORGE W. SWIFT, JR. 

